Bottle carrier



L. REACH] BOTTLE CARRIER 7 Filed May 5, 1941 2 Sheets-Sheet 1 mm, 115, M44.

L.REACHI BOTTLE CARRIER 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 Filed May 5, 1941 EJ J Zazls fieac? Patented Feb. 15, 1944 BOTTLE CARRIER Luis Reachi, Los Angcles, Calm, assignor to Ronrico Corporation, San Juan, P. 3., a corporation of Puerto Rico Application May 5. 1941, Serial No. 391,970

8 Claims.

The present invention relates to a bottle carrier and more particularly to a bottle carrier adapted to receive a single bottle or bottles and supported from another carrier.

In many instances it is desirable to suspend a single bottle or a relatively small number of bottles either temporarily or otherwise from a conventional carrier which normally carries a great number of bottles. This is particularly true where it is desirable to sell an alcoholic liquid in conjunction with a plurality of bottles containing soft drinks, thus for example it is often desirable to display and package both a soft drink,

'such as ginger ale or a cola beverage, together with an alcoholic beverage such as rum or whiskey. Obviously, it is desirable that the package which contains the rum be easily attachable or detachable from the carrier or package which contains the other beverage so that each may be sold separately as desired. However, where the two beverages are sold together, it is desirable that the purchaser be able to carry all of the bottles as a composite unit and naturally when a single handle will lift both a rum bottle or another bottle and the plurality of soft drink bottles, the purchaser has one less package to carry and the merchant benefits thereby. Although it is known in the art to provide inserts, or to simply mount a single sample bottle on a carton or container which contains the larger bottle, structures of this type are not suitable for the present purpose. This is generally true because in these earlier types of package the sample bottle is not easily detached from the main container or package, and it is difiicult to attach a bottle of a substantial size to a. package which contains a similarly sized bottle.

It is one of the objects of the present invention therefore to provide a composite or combination bottle carrier which includes a main portion capable of carrying a plurality of bottles, and an auxiliary carrier portion adapted to receive and support an additional bottle.

A second object of the present invention is to provide a combination carrier having means to carry a plurality of bottles and the auxiliary carrier largely supported from at least one of the bottles in the main carrier.

A third object of the present invention is to provide an auxiliary carrier capable of assembly with a main bottle carrier and adapted to overhang the open ends of the main bottle carrier so that none of the advertising data normally present on the front and back of the main bottle carrier is obscured thereby.

A fourth object of the present invention is to provide a combination bottle carrier including a portion adapted to receive and retain a plurality of bottles, and an auxiliary carrier portion for supporting an additional bottle, said auxiliary portion being supported both from the main carrier and certain of the bottles positioned on the main carrier.

A fifth object of the present invention is to provide a bottle carrier with a plurality of tongue portions provided with apertures through which another bottle, or bottles, are adapted to extend so that these second bottles are capable of supporting, or in part supporting said carrier.

A sixth object of the present invention is to provide a bottle carrier with a tongue member or members which extend over the shoulder of the bottle below the neck thereof to retain the bottle within the carrier, and which also serve to support the bottle and carrier from a, bottle or plurality of other bottles.

A seventh object of the present invention is to provide a bottle carrier having a pair of tongues adapted to extend over the necks of bottles adjacent the open end of an open ended second carrier, and with projecting portions adapted to project into said open ended carrier for further supporting the first mentioned carrier.

An eighth object of the present invention is to provide an auxiliary carrier having projecting portions adapted to hook over a flange normally provided on a main bottle carrier.

Other objects and advantages of the present invention will be apparent from the subsequent description and figures of the drawings, wherein:

Figure 1 is a plan view of a blank adapted to be folded into an auxiliary bottle carrier according to the present invention;

Fig. 2 is a front elevation of a main bottle carrier partly broken away to illustrate the assembly of an auxiliary carrier therewith;

Fig. 3 is a perspective view of an auxiliary bottle carrier according to the present invention;

Fig. 4 is a horizontal section, and taken on the line M of Fig. 2;

Fig. 5 is a plan view of a blank adapted to be folded into a modified form of auxiliary bottle carrier;

Fig. 6 is a vertical section of the modified form of auxiliary carrier of Fig. 5, assembled with a main carrier;

Fig. 7 is a further modified blank adapted to folded into a third form of auxiliar bottle carrier; and

as Fig. 8 is a horizontal section of a main carrier and auxiliary carrier of the type shown in 11g. 7, in assembled relation. w"

Referring to the drawings, and particularly Fig. 1, a blank adapted to be folded into an auxiliary bottle carrier is here indicated in general at It. The blank includes a portion I I adapted to form the front of the carrier and provided with a central opening indicated at |2 through which the label of the bottle may be viewed. The portion II is preferably of approximately the height and width Of the main body portion of the bottle which is to be carried within the carrier and although it is here shown as of generally rectangular or square shape and adapted to fit a pint bottle or flask type of bottle, it is to be understood that it may be proportioned to fit any suitable bottle and that the transverse dimension of the portion II, or the height of the front face ofthe carrier when assembled, is preferably of a height corresponding to the main body portion of the bottle which it encloses.

Extending from the left hand side of the portion I I as shown in Fig. l, is the rectangular section I3 which is connected to the portion II, as shown, by the fold line It. The section of the blank I3 it is to be understood is of a size to conform to the bottom of the bottle to be carried, and is adapted to form the base or bottom of the carrier. Extending from the section I3 is a back portion l5 which is connected to the section I3 by fold line I6. The back portion I5 is provided with a pair of ears I I and I8 in part separated from the portion I5 by the slits I9 and 29 for the purposeto be hereinafter described. Also extending from portion II are a pair of portions 2| and 22 which are adapted to form the sides of the carrier. The portions 2| and 22 are connected to the portion I I as by the fold lines 23 and 24 and in addition thereto, a second set of fold lines 25 and 26 are provided in parallel with the fold lines 23 and 24 so that the final package will present a generally rounded shape when folded. The left hand edges of the portions 2| and 22, as shown in Fig. l, are provided with a pair of notches 21 and 28, respectively adapted to form a hook-like portion for fitting over the flange of the main bottle carrier, to be hereinafter described.

A second pair of notches 29 and 30 are also provided in the right hand edges of the portions 2| and 22 to form shoulders 3| and 32 adapted to bear against the portion l5 to retain the carrier in assembled relation as shown particularly in Fig. 2. Projecting from the extreme right hand edge of the portion l, or the top edge of the section II in the assembled carrier, are a pair of tongues 33 and 34 connected to the portion II as by fold lines 33a and 34a. It is to be noted that the tongues 33 and 34 are relatively widely spaced at their connected portions and the inner edges 35 and 36 converge inwardly as they approach their free ends. The tongues 33 and 34 are provided at their free ends each with a generally circular aperture 31 and 38, respectively, of a size to receive the neck of a conventional bottle. It is to be understood that the blank Ill may be formed or stamped from any suitable material such as pasteboard and the like, possessing a sufficient strength to support an ordinary bottle and its contents.

Referring to Figs. 2 and 4, there is here shown a main bottle carrier 39 adapted to support a plurality of bottles 49 and provided with a bottom portion 4|, front and back portions 42 and 43, and a handle opening 44. The type of bottle carrier shown is provided with an open end and a turned upflange integral with the bottom of the carton 4|, and indicated by the reference numeral 45. As shown in Fig. 2, the carton is also provided with slanting shoulders 49 and 41,

generally cut away in semi-circular fashion as indicated at 48 and 49, to receive and retain a plurality of bottles in a manner well known in the art, and to prevent accidental displacement thereof.

As is conventional, the main carrier here shown is adapted to receive six bottles, two of the bottles being aligned transversely and three of the bottles being aligned longitudinally of the carrier. As shown in Figs. 2 and 3, the openings 31 and 39 are adapted to receive the necks of two bottles 40 which are positioned adjacent the open ends of the carrier 39 and thus the auxiliary carrier is supported to a large extent from two of the bottles carried by the main carrier 39. In addition to the support of the auxiliary carrier by the tongues 33 and 34, the auxiliary carrier is also adapted to cooperate with the flange 45 of the main carrier. As shown in Fig. 2, the flange 45 is adapted to extend into the notches 21 and 23 of the auxiliary carrier in order to firmly assemble the same with the main carrier.

Referring to Fig. 3, it will be noted that the auxiliary carrier conforms in general to the shape of a pint bottle, and that when the tongues 33 and 34 are bent rearwardly, the neck of the bottle is received in the space between the tongues in such fashion that the additional bottle indicated at 50 is locked in position within the auxiliary carrier by the converging edges 35 and 35 of the tongues. It will also be noted, that the auxiliary carrier is adapted to be easily assembled by simply passing the side portions 2| and 22 into the slits I9 and 20 so that the shoulders 3| and 32 form stops to prevent rearward movement of the back portion I5 of the auxiliary carrier.

Although two tongues 33 and 34 are herein disclosed, and are preferable in order to firmly assemble the auxiliary carrier ill with the main carrier 39 and the bottles therein, it is obvious that a single tongue circumscribing the bottle 5|! and supported on the neck of a single bottle 49 in the main carrier may be used.

Referring to Fig. 5, there is here shown a blank which is similar in general to the blank of Fig. 1. It will be noted however, that the notches 21 and 28 are omitted and an additional cut-out portion or tab 5| is provided in the portion l5. This particular form of carrier is especially adapted for use with a main bottle carrier such as the carrier 52 of Fig. 6, which is not provided with a flange 45. In this modified form of auxiliary carrier, the tongues 33 and 34 are entirely similar in function to the tongues 33 and 34 in Fig. 1 and are similarly adapted to support the upper portion I of the carrier from the bottles indicated at 49. However the tongue 5| serves to secure the lower portion of the auxiliary carrier so that the same may be supported from the main carrier 52. It will be noted from Fig. 6, that the tongue 5| is adapted to extend along bottom of the inside of the main carrier 52 and will be held therein by the bottoms of the bottles 40 resting thereon, thus furnishing an additional support for the bottom of the auxiliary bottle carrier of Figs. 5 and 6, which is indicated in general by the reference numeral 53.

asansro in general by the reference numeral 54. In this form of bottle carrier the notches 21 and 28 of Fig. l are also omitted. In place thereof, a pair of elongated straps 55 and 56 are provided with slits 59 and 60 adapted to interlock in a manner @own in the art. Preferably as shown in Fig. 8, the straps 65 and 56 are of a length sufficient to extend entirely around the bottles in the main package 52 here shown, which is entirely similar to the package 52 oi" Fig. 6 and differs from the main package of Fig. 2 in that it is also not provided withthe flange 45.

Although in the two modifications just described difierent means for securing or supporting the bottom of the auxiliary carrier from the main carrier has been shown, it is within the broad scope of the present invention to omit a bottom supporting means for the auxiliary carrier entirely and simply rely on the two tongues 33 and 3%. It is further evident that the two tongues 33 and 3d may be considered in effect a single member and instead of being spaced by a converging slotted portion or space, an opening may be provided, or aperture adapted to 'receive the neck of the bottle 50.

What I claim is:

i. In combination with a bottle carrier having means to carry a plurality of bottles, an auxiliary carrier having alower portion adapted to receive and support an additional bottle, an upper supporting portion extending laterally and cooperating with one of said first mentioned bottles to' support the upper end of said auxiliary carrier, and a lower supporting portion extending into said first mentioned carrier for supporting the lower end of said auxiliary carrier.

2. In combination with a bottle carrier having means to carry a plurality of bottles, an auxiliary carrier having a lower portion adapted to receive and support an additional bottle, an upper supporting tongue portion adapted to'laterally extend around the neck of the last mentioned bottle and over the shoulder thereof to retain the same within the auxiliary carrier, said tongue portion extending into engagement with at least one of said first mentioned bottles to support said auxiliary carrier from said first mentioned bottle carrier, and a lower supporting portion extending from said auxiliary carrier into said first mentioned carrier to support the lower end of said auxiliary carrier.

3. In combination with a bottle carrier including a base portion for supporting a plurality of bottles, front and rear walls, open ends and a central dividing portion, an auxiliary carrier protherefrom to diverse sides of the central dividing portion, each fitting about a portion of one of the first mentioned bottles adjacent the open ends of the first mentioned carrier tov support said auxiliary carrier over one of the open ends of said first mentioned carrier, and a supporting member extending from the lower end of saidauxiliary carrier into one of the open ends of the first mentioned carrier.

4. In combination with a bottle carrier including a base portion for supporting a plurality of bottles. front and rear walls, open ends and a flange projecting from said base portion over the lower section of said open ends, an auxiliary carrier provided with means to supper-t an additional bottle, a pair of tongues each fitting about a portion of one of the first mentioned bottles adjacent the open ends of the first mentioned carrier, and an additional supporting member extending from the lower end of said auxiliary carrier and adapted to hook over said flange.

5. In combination with a bottle carrier including a base portion for supporting a plurality of bottles, from and rear walls and open ends, an auxiliary carrier having a front wall and a lower portion adapted'to receive and support an additional bottle, means to support the upper end of said auxiliary carrier from at least one of said bottles of said first mentioned carrier, and a pair of supporting members extending from the front wall of said auxiliary carrier into one of the open ends and adjacent a respective front and rear wall of said first mentioned bottle carrier to form the side walls of the auxiliary carrier and support the same.

In a bottle carrier of sheet material including a bottom portion, side portions, a front portion and a back portion respectively connected by fold lines and adapted when folded to receive and support a bottle, a pair of tongue portions projecting from an upper section of said front portion at substantially the height of the main body portion of said bottle, said tongue portions being spaced to receive the neck portion of said bottle and convergent to partially circumscribe said neck portion at their free ends, each of said tongue portions being provided with an aperture at its free end and adapted to receive the neck portion of a second and third bottle respectively.

'7. In a bottle carrier of sheet material includ-- ing a bottom portion, side portions, a front portion and a back portion respectively connected by fold lines and adapted when folded to receive and support a bottle, a tongue portion projecting from an upper section of said front portion at substantially the height of the main body portion of said bottle and partially circumscribing the neck thereof, said tongue portion being provided with an aperture at its free end adapted to fit a portion of a second bottle, and a pair of extended portions extending from each of the side portions of said carrier, each of said extended portions being provided with a notch in its lower edge to constitute a hook.

8. In combination with a bottle carrier having means to carry a plurality of bottles, an auxiliary carrier of sheet material including a bottom portion, side portions, a front portion and a back portion respectively connected by fold lines and adapted when folded to receive and support a bottle, a pair of tongue portions projecting from an upper section of said front portion at substantially the height of the main body portion of said bottle, said'tongue portions being spaced to receive the neck portion of said bottle, and convergent to partially circumscribe said neck portion at their free ends, each of said tongue portions being provided with an aperture at its free end to receive the neck portion of one of said bottles carried by the main carrier, and a pair of side portions extending rearwardly from the front 1 portion "of said auxiliary carrier to form sides therefor, said side portions extending into said main carrier and including means cooperating with said main carrier to assist in supporting said auxiliary carrier.

X LUIS REACHI. 

